Tension is escalating in Obeagu Awkunanaw community, Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State, as residents level serious allegations against Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Margaret Ochalla, accusing her of colluding with land grabbers to dispossess them of their ancestral lands.
In strongly worded petitions sent to the Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission, community representatives demanded AIG Ochalla’s immediate removal from her post at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Lagos. They also called for the transfer of all land-related investigations to a neutral jurisdiction.
At the heart of the crisis is a bitter land dispute involving a private developer, Private Estates International West Africa (PEIWA), whose key figures are identified as Kingsley Eze and Gozie Okoye.
The community referred to PEIWA as “a group of desperate fellows” who exploited political and police connections to illegally acquire and commercialize their ancestral land under the guise of building the Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City.
“The story of the so-called Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City whose alter ego is one Kingsley Eze, and more recently, Gozie Okoye, is a vexed one,” the petition reads. “Our ownership of this land in question is not in doubt, as none of the dramatis personae is from our community, neither did any of their parents nor ancestors ever own any part thereof.”
They alleged that Eze and his associates forged documents falsely claiming the land was acquired during the administration of former Governor Jim Nwobodo—a claim Nwobodo has publicly refuted. The alleged forgery forms the basis of Charge No. FHC/EN/CR/84/2025 – IGP V. Kingsley Eze & 2 ORS at the Federal High Court, Enugu, alongside pending civil suits at the Enugu State High Court.
The petitioners insist that AIG Ochalla, who they claim has longstanding ties with the developers, has compromised her impartiality.
“She has pitched her tent with them and has been giving her unalloyed support since when she was a Deputy Commissioner of Police in FCID, Abuja,” the petition stated. “Every police officer is an ambassador of the Nigeria Police Force and must act in the best interest of the public rather than in protection of the selfish interest of a few land grabbers.”
The situation reportedly deteriorated further following Ochalla’s recent posting to FCID Annex, Lagos. “Since Friday, 16/05/2025, AIG Ochalla unleashed a team of police officers from FCID Annex, Lagos against our people. They are kept in an expensive hotel, fed, and have been accompanying officers of PEIWA on daily basis as they patrol our community,” the letter disclosed.
The community claims that several residents have been arbitrarily arrested, detained at Uwani Police Station, and arraigned on what they describe as “baseless” charges. Among the victims was Rt. Hon. Paul Okechukwu Ogbe, a Senior Special Assistant to the Enugu State Governor.
“He was detained at Uwani Police Station and was about being flown to Lagos on 22/05/2025 when he collapsed and was rushed to hospital,” the petition noted. “Why take him to Lagos if there is no sinister purpose to keep him away, at a place where it will be difficult to get sureties?”
They expressed fears that the community is under siege through state machinery weaponized by vested interests.
“We are also wondering how long AIG Ochalla will be used by these land grabbers against us. Now she is in charge at FCID, Lagos, it is time to release a floodgate of criminal complaints, and members of our community will apparently know no peace henceforth,” they warned.
The petitioners urged the Inspector General of Police to transfer the investigation to Enugu or another neutral venue and to direct AIG Ochalla to recuse herself from all matters relating to the case.
“She should be reminded that as a police officer, she has to be impartial in performing her duty, and should not let her personal relationships influence her sense of duty. We beg you to save the Nigeria Police from the dent AIG Margaret Ochalla wants to rub on your flagship and respectable institution.”
Separately, the community also reacted to a letter dated 13 May 2025, allegedly issued by Gozie Okoye, now claiming to be Managing Director of PEIWA. The letter, which warned against unauthorized development in the disputed area, was dismissed by the community as illegitimate and misleading.
“Although the said letter was not particularly addressed to anyone, its contents are laced with bogus claims, distortion of facts, wishful thinking and threat,” they said.
“We must state clearly and categorically that we are the bonafide owners by inheritance of all that parcels of land called Agbana, Ugwuorie, Onususu, Akparata, Isi Oke, Ofia Ogonogo, Ofia Aru, Ururo, Orji, Ngene Uchoo, Ngene Ogwe, Iduru and Ihu Odeje among others.”
They accused Okoye of abusing his previous role as a bank manager to secure a N2 billion loan for PEIWA using the disputed land as collateral, an act they termed “an extreme form of corruption.”
“Is it not an extreme form of corruption that Gozie Okoye, for his selfish interest, applied for a loan for his company and used public deposits to feather his nest?” the community asked, pledging to push for an official probe.
They also pointed to a 2024 report by the Enugu State House of Assembly Committee on Land Disputes, which upheld their ownership claims, as further justification for their position.
Now, the people of Obeagu Awkunanaw are calling on the top hierarchy of the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission to intervene swiftly and decisively, to restore public trust and prevent a breakdown of law and order in the area.
